Revisiting Rebecca (Pt 4) the Original Gone Girl
Friday, April 17, 2015 at 9:00AM Previously on Revisiting Rebecca - Nathaniel introduced us to our nameless heroine whose youthful, clumsy charm lands her the brooding Maxim de Winter. Abstew attended their nuptials and the first of the second Mrs. de Winter's trials at Manderley. Then Anne Marie ventured into Rebecca's room to see how deep Mrs. Danvers obsession goes. Will our mousy leading lady ever find the peace and love she desires at Manderley or will the ghost of Rebecca prove too great an obstacle?
Part 4 by Angelica Jade Bastién
We begin where Anne Marie left off, with #2 (aka The Second and Less Fabulous Mrs. de Winter) getting her wish for a costume ball. After failing to come up with a costume to her liking Mrs. Danvers offers to help. But, #2 soon learns that Mrs. Danvers version of help is quite dangerous.
1:16:06 Costume balls, much like Halloween, allow people to become what they deeply want to be even if it’s just for an evening. For #2 this is especially true as she takes Mrs. Danvers advice and dresses up as Lady Caroline de Winter based on one of the many family portraits that punctuate the walls of Manderley. Lady Caroline represents everything #2 is not: poised, beautiful, disarming.
While some of our team hasn't warmed to Joan Fontaine in this nameless role, I agree with Anne Marie's estimations. Fontaine perfectly embodies her. When we first see #2 in her costume she is nervous with desire, unsure of her decision. She carries herself with a sort of clumsiness I remember from my high school years; trying to have some sort of grace but instead bristling against the confines of early womanhood. Which makes me wonder how old is #2 supposed to be exactly? [More...]
While Fontaine's performance doesn't reach the glorious heights of Letter from an Unknown Woman or Born to be Bad, she fulfills the role as the antithesis of everything Rebecca. She's like an overwhelmed school girl in love. The only thing she seems to be sure of is her love for Maxim and desperate need to please him. There are whole universes in the way Fontaine looks at her leading men, no matter the role. And #2 looks into Maxim's eyes searching for her own identity. After all, who is she besides his second wife?
1:17:21 When #2 walks downstairs and greets Maxim with a coy, "Good Evening, Mr. de Winter" the night takes a sour, unexpected turn...
Not the reaction you'd want from your husband.
What the devil are you doing?"
When Maxim sees her costume his expression shifts from jovial to angry. Whatever excitement #2 had fizzles just as quickly. Poor girl.
Laurence Olivier may be very dashing but even his beauty can't stop us from wanting to punch Maxim in the face on behalf of poor, eager-to-please #2. He's seriously terrible at communicating with his new wife. Does he think about how his gruff reaction comes off to her? This isn't the first or last time he expects her to be able to read his mind and gets pissed when she can't. Dude, just talk to her.
1:18:21 #2 confronts Mrs. Danvers, who doesn't even pretend to give a damn about her feelings.
...Even in the same dress you couldn't compare.
It doesn't take long for Mrs. Danvers to completely lay into #2. While #2 came into this confrontation with a lot of energy (and even outright called Mrs. Danvers out) it is Mrs. Danvers with her still fury that has all the power. It doesn't take long for #2 to crumble.
The way they move through Rebecca's old room is like a dangerous dance or watching a lioness stalk its wounded prey.
Girl, you in danger
#2: Why do you hate me? What have I done to you for you to ever hate me so?
Mrs. Danvers: You tried to take her place.
At least, she's honest. What's interesting about the scene is how Mrs. Danvers describes Rebecca. In her mind Rebecca is elemental, not just a mere woman. It was only the sea that could destroy her not just any man or woman (which we will soon learn isn't exactly true).
1:19:11 After #2 collapses into bed as a teary eyed mess, it dawns on Mrs. Danvers what kind of push this young girl needs: right out a window. Of course, Mrs. Danvers won't do anything as crude as physically push her so instead she suggests the only course of action.
As someone who has felt the bitter, seductive pull of suicide I find this scene one of the most interesting in the film. Mrs. Danvers grows closer and closer to #2 guiding her to the open window. Her words needle #2 where she's most vulnerable, voicing #2's own internal comparisons to the marvelous Rebecca.
He doesn't love you, he wants to be alone again with her. You have nothing to stay for. You have nothing to live for really, have you? Look down there. It's easy, isn't it? Why don't you? Why don't you?"
The camera closes in tightly on the two women making the moment feel claustrophobic. Mrs. Danvers voice is a siren song.
Don't give in to the bitter pull, Mrs de Winter
The spell of Mrs. Danvers voice is abruptly broken by commotion below. A shipwreck! But of course not just any shipwreck.
1:22:03 Outside, #2 quickly learns from Frank that the ship is Rebecca's. She continues her search for Maxim coming across the sea side home Rebecca once occupied alight.
When #2 sees Maxim sitting alone, he says the most casual "hello" that I almost forgot the events proceeding it. Being a mousy fool, #2 of course asks for Maxim's forgiveness over the whole costume incident. She shouldn't be asking for forgiveness, he should! Sure, she was far too trusting of Mrs. Danvers. But, how was she supposed to know Rebecca wore the same damn costume? During the commotion of the shipwreck did Maxim even think about #2? Nah, probably not.
Maxim can't we start all over again? I don't ask that you should love me. I don't ask impossible things.
This girl needs to learn how to love herself. She probably shouldn't be married at all especially to a man like Maxim.
1:25:00 At this point, things start to get real for #2 as Maxim explains the gravity of the predicament he finds himself in. The diver of the shipwreck discovered Rebecca's body. You see the woman that Maxim claimed was Rebecca earlier wasn't Rebecca at all. She was just some unclaimed woman who washed ashore and was used to keep the truth of Rebecca's demise a secret.
Maxim: I knew where Rebecca's body was...
#2: How did you know, Maxim?
Maxim: Because I put it there!
Now all his selfish brooding starts to make sense!
Without the shackles of the Production Code (whose restrictions just as often forced filmmakers to be pretty creative with how they handled tricky subject matter) the film would proceed much differently. In the book, Maxim actually kills Rebecca. In Hitchcock's film Maxim reveals that he thought about killing Rebecca but her demise was a bit more complicated.
Run for your life, he isn't worth the drama!
How could we be close when I knew you were always thinking of Rebecca? How could I even ask you to love me when I knew you loved Rebecca still?"
Per usual, Maxim gets pissed when #2 can't read his mind. And reveals that he actually hated Rebecca.
1:31:53 Maxim's stillness completely shatters at this point as he starts smoking and pacing the room. The camera pans around the room as if following the same footsteps Rebecca may have taken during her final confrontation with Maxim.
He reveals that under the facade of the perfect wife Rebecca was actually a cruel, selfish, and manipulative woman. Her beauty simply a mask for her rotten core. They were married only in name. But being a woman of appetites meant Rebecca was totally down for being with other men. After all, she had the upper hand with Maxim, he would never divorce her and wreck his own image. It gets worse.
Rebecca was going to entrap Maxim with a baby. Basically, she's the original Amazing Amy. And I'm not the only one to see the parallels, there's an amazing article my title nods to that discusses Rebecca and Daphne du Marier as "the original Gone Girl". I don't know whether to laugh or to cry about how the beautiful, yet corrupt woman entraps crap husband with a baby plot still flourishes to this day.
While Rebecca seemed dynamic in life her death seems a bit anticlimactic. After taunting Maxim she falls and strikes her head. Her death is an accident. Feeling no one will believe him he staged her death putting her body on her boat and making sure the bastard sank. Maxim is right. I don't believe him. At all. But, I get the Production Code forced the filmmakers to come up with a different explanation than Maxim outright shooting her. But, does it work?
Of course, #2 still wants to be with Maxim despite the craziness he just confessed to. I hope she doesn't expect to ever have a healthy relationship with this guy. Just as #2 is sprouting hopeful nonsense they get a telephone call. The constable wants to know if Maxim made a mistake identifying the original body. Not only that there will be another inquest.
1:43:43 Back at Manderley, #2 insists on staying by Maxim's side during the inquest.
Maxim: It's gone forever. That funny, young, lost look I love won't ever come back."
We leave the second Mrs. de Winter faithfully standing by her man who may or may not have killed his exceptionally beautiful and cruel first wife (despite what he says). Will they find happiness? Will she gain more of a backbone? How will Mrs. Danvers react to the inquest? Jason closes this Revisiting Rebecca series as the film heads toward its fiery conclusion.
Reader Comments (6)
Well, who doesn't feel for #2 when she is so hopeful, and all dolled up in her Lady Caroline outfit and coming down the steps... only to get Maxim rejecting her so brutally. Maxim behaves like the judges on "Project Runway", he just expects her to know that this costume 'has already been done'.
And she looked very pretty and put all that work in -but does he care about that? NO
Rejected and dejected wife #2 almost submits to the power of suggestion from Danvers. Anderson was remarkable in this respect, some may say she was too evil but I think this scene is her best. Thank God there was a shipwreck, or #2 might have jumped.
Which all leaves me feeling that she is way more forgiving than I would have been when Maxim reveals 'the accident' and how he really feels about Rebecca. Mind you I do love the way Olivier says, "I hated her" - such venom. I want to compliment Joan Fontaine's performance here and in general. The audience is never in doubt about how much she loves and needs Maxim. That's a tough scene to bring off and she does it very, very well.
"Mrs Danvers is a siren song" - beautifully put Angelica and thanks for being so honest. Do you find that dramatization of depression and mental turmoil is helpful... cathartic or is it painful to watch?
maybe both.
Great recap of this portion looking at this horrendously dysfunctional "love" match. Olivier dresses the part up but Maxim really is too much work even with all the perks like Mandalay. Judith Anderson rocks Mrs. Danvers throughout but I think the window scene may be her best moment.
Glad you mentioned Letter from an Unknown Woman, I think that's Fontaine's best performance by far. What an odd screen persona she had, she began as a timid, wishy washy fawn and somewhere around Born to be Bad morphed into the brittle, enameled sophisticate with a chilly air that remained the rest of her career.
Can't wait to read the wrap up.
Maybe Rosemund can play Fontaine, thr's sumtink v similar in the cool blankness of their face, v fire & ice
LOVE Rebecca, and that Gone Girl reference, which I just embarassingly realized, is genius!
I also hope that you guys at least will do an article on DOCTOR ZHIVAGO this year since it's also celebrating 50th anniversary.
Nathaniel - Sorry for the late response. In terms of the film's dramatization of depression, I find it hard to watch.